1. Field of the Invention
The preferred embodiments of the present invention relate, inter alia, to a throttle control device, and a vehicle equipped with the throttle control device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
Conventionally, a vehicle equipped with a throttle valve for adjusting an output of an internal combustion engine such as an engine and a throttle operator for opening and closing the throttle valve has been known. In addition, a throttle control device for controlling the opening degree of the throttle valve depending on an operation amount of a throttle operator has also be known. The throttle control device stores the control mode information in which the relationship between the operation amount of the throttle operator and the targeted opening degree of the throttle valve (hereinafter referred to as “targeted throttle opening degree”) is determined. The throttle control device is configured to calculate a targeted throttle opening degree by receiving the operation amount information of the throttle operator and control the throttle valve so that the opening degree of the throttle valve becomes the targeted throttle opening degree. Japanese Patent No. 2,526,612 (hereinafter referred to as “Patent Document 1”) describes a throttle control device in which a plurality of control mode information is stored and the control mode can be changed with a switch.
The throttle control device disclosed by Patent Document 1 calculates the opening degree difference between the targeted throttle opening degree in the currently used control mode and the targeted throttle opening degree in the control mode newly selected by operating the switch. Also, the aforementioned throttle control device judges whether or not the absolute value of the opening degree difference is the permissible value or below. When the absolute value exceeds the permissible value when the switch is operated, the throttle control device considers it to be inappropriate to change the control mode and does not perform the change. The throttle control device changes the control mode only when the absolute value is the permissible value or below. The absolute value changes in accordance with the rotation speed of the aforementioned engine.
With the aforementioned control, the throttle control device prevents the sudden changes of the opening degree of the throttle valve at the time of changing the control mode. This allows the throttle control device to prevent excessive torque fluctuations of the engine at the time of changing the control mode.
As described above, even if the switch is operated, in cases where the aforementioned absolute value exceeds the permissible value, the throttle control device does not change the control mode until the absolute value becomes the permissible value or below. Therefore, in the throttle control device, the control mode change timing was not clear to the person operating the switch. Furthermore, in the throttle control device, when changing the control mode, it is required to perform the processing of calculating the opening degree difference between the targeted throttle opening degree in the currently used control mode and the targeted throttle opening degree in the control mode to be newly selected. Furthermore, it is also required to perform the processing of judging whether or not the absolute value of the opening degree difference is the permissible value or below. This requires the aforementioned throttle control device to perform complicated arithmetic processing.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. For example, certain features of the preferred embodiments of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages and/or providing certain advantages, such as, e.g., disadvantages and/or advantages discussed herein, while retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.